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| Saturday, 14 February 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| PAFFREL wants undistorted flow of information People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) called upon all media institutions, editors, journalists and publishers to fulfil their social obligation by upholding the people's right to a free and undistorted flow of information. In a special media release issued yesterday the PAFFREL has expressed " We see a special duty on the part of the State media in particular to represent all sections of the polity and set an example of professional journalism." The full release reads: With the general election campaign now under way following the dissolution of Parliament there is an increase in the political mobilisation on the part of different political parties and their supporters. During an election the media plays an important role in educating the general public about the issues that face the country and the solutions to them that are proposed by the contesting parties. Due to its wide reach, the media has a special obligation to report news in an undistorted and unbiased manner. Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of democracy. However they can only be guaranteed if they are conducted free of violence and intimidation, and with a free flow of undistorted information that enables voters to make informed voting decisions. PAFFREL regrets to note that sections of the media have failed to fulfil this public obligation in the past and continue to be remiss in meeting their social obligations. Some media have been partisan in reporting and have distorted news to suit the ideological and political preferences of their editors and publishers. We note that in previous elections, the Election Commissioner issued guidelines to the state media that were flouted in the heat of the election campaigns. In the absence of an Independent Elections Commission, which has still not been properly constituted, PAFFREL calls on the Elections Commissioner in whom the powers of the Commission has been conferred, to ensure that the guidelines he has issued are respected during this election. |
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